Da Nang

It’s raining heavily outside. Looking out the window, the quiet people in the rain made me suddenly remember about Da Nang. For me, Da Nang is really special. Is it because of the wonderful scene here? Or because of my origin – a child of Da Nang? Or is it because of the simple things here?

Last year, I spent half a month returning to this place, wandering around the little corner! During this time, of course, I can travel throughout Vietnam. But I chose to spend all the time here. Referring to this city, you will think of what? Is that Ba Na Hills, Asian Park or Love Bridge? What I remember is the simple things, very familiar in the lives of every people. Sometimes we are interested in looking for strange things that hurry to forget them. And I decided to go to find out, to experience, not to tour or simply take the package tour anymore!

These simple things can be the sound of breath; the sound of the waves; the laughter in the noisy atmosphere of the fish market even in the dim light of early morning; the color of the red flag fluttering on the fishing boats when they are on their way back to the ground in the yellow sunshine that the sky is still green; the footprints on the sand; the mother shoulder burden; the traditional "xôi" in the morning; the aromatic coffee on Bach Dang street, sipping a little at the end of the season and thinking "I'm 20 now, my future will be fine?"; the morning clear morning at Hòa Bắc, wandering on the prairie glittering ...

My Da Nang is very simple, where Han River flows through, where have the Son Tra peninsula, the sea, and mountains, where have unique architectural works, but also contains many rustic, familiar. Da Nang is modern but traditional. It's not hard to see whether the luxury resort or homestay lovely, the beauty of this city has always existed. And more than anything else in life, Da Nang is the first place that I have ever seen in this world, where has my grandparents, relatives ... and my hometowns!

I still like the feeling of getting up early every morning, walking 5km to My Khe beach - one of the most beautiful fairies here, then face up to heaven, breathe deeply as you want to "collect" all Da Nang into my chest.

A city nestled and rest her head upon the sea and a romantic Han River flows through, where one can feel the modern harmony with the space of the legendary land of praise is worth living in Vietnam. But that is not all that people think about Da Nang, in the hearts of young people, it is like stopping to experience so many new things.

This trip to Da Nang I saw a beautiful Da Nang, there are many things to learn and explore, not only the familiar places that everyone knows. Da Nang is not only the Dragon Bridge, there are beaches stretching white sand, tourist attractions such as Ba Na Hills, Sun wheel, Linh Ung Pagoda, Coco Bay or the bridges. I find Da Nang is more than that: the beauty is blended between nature and people, between the heritage of creativity and the preservation and sustainable development of human hands... All created a really amazing Da Nang.

Harmony in the daily life, Da Nang is the fish market at the early dawn. Danang is a cup of coffee to slowly feel the colors of life. It is the noon that I wander in the cave Huyen Khong, Ngu Hanh Mountain watching the sunshine glittering in the smoke of illusion illuminated the Buddha statue face. Danang was my afternoon driving around the Son Tra Peninsula watching the thunderstorm pulling from the north of Hai Van, holding breath to observe the rare Red-shanked douc near the banyan tree.

A City Of Beaches

Walking along Da Nang beach watching the pigeons in the early morning is a great start to an exciting new day. There is no noise in the gentle blue sea. It exposure tenderly to the sun, the sparkling color of peace and pure.

Going to the sea at night, nestle to space, go with the wind, let the waves soothe the mind, feel so gentle soul! Da Nang’s sea at night is more crowded than the day but absolutely isn't noisy. People still quietly sit together, talk quietly, everyone has a sky, a deserted beach for themselves. Watching the sea and then going to the roadside seafood movable restaurant, you will feel how warm and happy it is!

Only that, just around the familiar place but I feel Da Nang is so strange, peaceful, simple and honest nature. Someone loves Danang because this land is shimmering, brilliant or because Da Nang is young and modern, but at that moment I realized that my love for this land came from the simplest things. It is like a stall, a smile or a peaceful sky on the deserted beach.

My Khe Beach - It's All The Sea Whenever You Open Your Eyes

Mentioned here, I remember most of the morning walking more than 5km to sit on the main beach east to watch the sunrise overlay the water with its warm light. I stroll leisurely, let the white sand creep to the toe and the wind rush up my hair. Pigeons flocked to the lagoons after the night sail and the morning market. Or simply to wake up every morning to see the sea right before the eyes. It is really so! My Khe Beach has been voted as one of the six most attractive beaches in the world by Forbes magazine.

People often say that the sea is beautiful and peaceful in the early morning. If one day you have a chance to go to Da Nang, you visit My Khe Beach and wake up early to welcome the sea dawn, you will feel the sweet beauty but also very sparkling and magical as a picture. My Khe beach at dawn turns into a magnificent giant mirror reflecting the very ordinary activities of the fishermen.

Every morning, the sun has not yet sprouted, tourists have rushed to the bathing beach early. Many local people exercise on the sidewalk. Traveling along Son Tra peninsula about a few kilometers to the fish landing market - the first place where the fishermen bring seafood, fishes to sell to the dealers on the beach: noisy, salty smell of the sea. They paddle the coracles (a small, rounded, lightweight boat of the sort traditionally used in Vietnam) carrying fish to the shore and paddle also the golden sunlight reflecting on the water.

My Khe Beach seems to be sleeping all day and waking up in the afternoon as the shadows lengthened. At this time, all the beach games were being presented: water motorcycles, paragliding, team building ... People like to sip grilled squid with beer, to lying down lazily on the beach chairs under the colorful umbrellas. With the beauty of the dawn, the dusk at My Khe beach wears a new shirt with a quiet, silent color, creating a very beautiful scene. At the end of the day, when "the sun descends like a flaming fire", a large seascape is beautifully dyed in red. The small ripples keep whispering that makes the soul peace and quiet. Walking on the beach and feeling the changes of the day will definitely be a memorable experience for me. Besides, recreational activities such as fishing, snorkeling or surfing, yachting, and jet-skiing (personal watercraft)... are very interesting games at My Khe beach that you should experience.

That evening, I didn't go anywhere but sitting under the shade of coconut; watching Danang's people as they were walking, dancing; listening to rock ballads familiar emitted from the speaker barrel of a beach bar casual: "I do not wanna to fall asleep, Cause I miss you, baby, And I do not wanna miss a thing…" mixing with the sound of bartender, the singing voice of a blonde cute tourist. Yes, I do not want to fall asleep, I would not want to miss a thing, because I love the Danang sea.

A Friendly City

Danang people are very enthusiastic, friendly and cheerful. I like the feeling of driving alone around the city to see how life in Da Nang is changing day by day. Will my childhood paths only exist in my memory or are they still here waiting for me? There are many times I go out and often get lost! Haha! So I often asked the motorbike taxi, the worker, or the sisters, uncles...anyone on the way. Can you guess? I received the happy smile and the clear direction. They were so enthusiastic, they do not forget to advise the most convenient way and avoid going in the opposite direction because in Da Nang there are many one-way roads I do not know yet.

The City Of Bridges

Next day, I decided to visit the bridges. I slowly stepped in that morning with the sky beginning to lighten in the east. I walk on the famous bridge of Da Nang with the desire to see the whole beautiful and peaceful city. The Han River Bridge still stands here, the same with my memories! Setting foot on Dragon Bridge is also at 8 am. At this moment, in Saigon, you may see the crowd pressing in on you. It's hard to breathe! In contrast, I can confidently take a deep breath without fear of being contaminated by the dust in Da Nang. This is the first time I have noticed the boats moored at the foot of a bridge. This reminds me of the images of coastal people in Central Vietnam every morning mooring on the beach. Danang's fishermen also have sea, only their berths look more spacious and eye-catching. Even Danang people do not have the concept of cleaning all the grasslands along the road, but also keep watering them every day to retain the valuable pieces of green for the city, interspersed with many cement projects. So I realized that my morning had not been in vain because I have just seen the beauty of Danang from a new perspective while walking on the famous Dragon Bridge.

At night, the city becomes more sparkling by the colors of the bridges, the Sunwheel and especially the Dragon Bridge. This metal dragon in the evening is shimmering light, shimmering light bulbs with vibrant colors, sometimes he breathes fire and even water! This is also a remarkable work of art here. Thuan Phuoc Bridge looks like a sailboat waiting to put out to sea...

Linh Ung Pagoda

And of course, I could not ignore Linh Ung Pagoda - the famous pagoda located on the Son Tra Peninsula with the highest Buddha statue in Vietnam overlooking the East Sea. In Da Nang, there are three Linh Ung Pagoda located in the three following places: Ngu Hanh Son Mountain, Ba Na Hills Resort and Son Tra Peninsula. The one in Son Tra peninsula is the largest pagoda.

The pagoda was built from a combination of modern architecture and ancient Buddhist style, with bent roofs, sturdy pillars surrounded by very curvy delicate dragons. The architecture of the pagoda is modern but still pervades the most typical features of the pagoda architecture of Vietnam. The pagoda has the bent roof, the four corners of the roof are dragon-shaped, and the pillar of the temple is also carved the dragon shape winding around it. The main part of the pagoda is quite large. In the middle, there is a statue of Master Shakyamuni Buddha, the two sides are the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, Tripitaka and the Four Dharmapala (the Protector) and the Arhat. Outside the pagoda is a statue of Avalokitesvara, 67m high, standing on a lotus throne about 35m in diameter with the back to the mountain and overlooking the sea. In the heart of the statue is 17 floors. On each floor, there are many altar Buddha statues with different faces, shapes, and postures. On the way to visit Linh Ung Pagoda, you can definitely see the huge statue of Quan Yin - she is looking out of the vast sea with a happy face and is always ready to save everyone at any time they need.

Standing in front of the pagoda, you will find your heart soothing, less depressed and more relaxed. A stop at the Linh Ung Pagoda, you will feel the harmony of the human with the great nature and the vast religious faith. This harmonious combination has created a great meditation space, helped people to find the precious moments of calm in a noisy and stress modern life.

A Twinkle Danang At Night

In spite of its gentle and velvet beautiful, but Da Nang still has gorgeous and brilliant moments. Every year, Da Nang International Fireworks Festival takes place. You will see a brilliant scene of color and vibrant sound - a dynamic Danang appears. If you would like to enjoy this excellent performance, I have some tips for you: get information about the festival's program, chose the location and book all the hotel and other services as soon as possible because this is a big event which attracts many tourists coming to Danang. As you know, the price will go up at this time.

Ba Na Hills – A Little Europe in Danang

The next day, the weather was nice. I decided to spend a day enjoying the fresh cool air and the wonderful European scene in Ba Na Hills - a piece of European Renaissance architecture in Vietnam. This is one of the most tourist attractions in Da Nang. Sitting on the cable car, I watched the whole Danang under the mist. Wow! From above look down, Ba Na Hills is really a fairyland! Really pretty! In addition to the miniature French village, there is also "Le Jardin D'Amour" flower garden decorated in a beautiful European style. This flower garden is divided into 9 small flower gardens, each one will carry a different theme. The best thing about this flower garden with me is the mysterious huge labyrinth to play hide and seek. For those who want to find a purely spiritual place can visit the ancient pagoda of Linh Ung on the top of the mountain Lord.

If you like crowded, busy, come here from April to August because this period coincides with the long tourist season. Therefore, you play and visit from morning to late at night without fear of "reduced heat". If you like quiet space, go in the spring (January - March), or winter (October to December). These days are low season, the weather is cool so you will have the opportunity to fully enjoy the beauty of Ba Na Hills.

TO SUM UP

Maybe Da Nang has really changed! I can feel the change here! After nearly 10 years, I came back: Danang really changed the new clothes like a chrysalis turning into a beautiful and brilliant butterfly that is brimming over with the noblest and purest of nature.

I know Da Nang does not belong to anyone but everyone has their own Danang. I also have ... Last year, in the year of 20, I used to have a very lively Da Nang and will always have!